MERGE Madrid to Bring Together 250 Speakers on Stablecoins, Payments and Tokenization
Key Takeaways
- •MERGE Madrid 2026 is expected to draw more than 3,000 attendees and 250 international speakers to the Madrid Stock Exchange and Cibeles Palace from October 27 to 29.
- •Qivalis, an alliance of 37 financial institutions across 15 European countries, is developing a euro-denominated stablecoin with a commercial launch planned for the second half of 2026, subject to regulatory authorization.
- •Santander is examining a digital currency project with nine other major banks that would issue tokens backed one-to-one by reserves and accessible on public blockchains, pegged to G7 fiat currencies.
- •Western Union will present USDPT, a dollar stablecoin issued by Anchorage Digital Bank and built on Solana, which it is integrating into its Digital Asset Network for around-the-clock transfers, payments, and currency conversions.
- •The EU's MiCA regulation, whose stablecoin issuer provisions took effect in 2024, frames the event as rapid growth in dollar-linked stablecoins fuels debate over Europe's payment infrastructure and monetary sovereignty.
Madrid, Spain, October 21, 2026 — Chainwire
MERGE Madrid 2026 will take place from October 27 to 29 at the Madrid Stock Exchange and Cibeles Palace, bringing together more than 3,000 expected attendees and 250 international speakers. Euro- and dollar-denominated stablecoins, the transformation of payments, and asset tokenization will be central topics among banks, investment platforms, payment providers, and remittance companies.
Coty de Monteverde, Global Head of Crypto & Digital Assets at Banco Santander, and Francisco Maroto, Head of Blockchain and Digital Assets at BBVA, are among the confirmed participants. Representatives and executive teams from Trade Republic, Western Union, Qivalis, Mastercard, Ripple, and other companies developing financial infrastructure will also attend.
The event will begin Tuesday, October 27, at the Madrid Stock Exchange with the Institutional Summit for bankers, investors, regulators, and industry leaders, followed by a private VIP cocktail reception. The main conference will take place at Cibeles Palace on Wednesday, October 28, and Thursday, October 29.
Four Approaches to the Future of Digital Money
MERGE Madrid will examine how stablecoins and blockchain technology are being applied to payments, international transfers, investing, and other financial services. The agenda will address the role of euro- and dollar-pegged digital currencies, the development of new payment infrastructure, and how these systems could reach businesses and consumers.
BBVA, Banca Sella, BNP Paribas, CaixaBank, Cecabank, Intesa Sanpaolo, Kutxabank, Piraeus Bank, Raiffeisen Bank, and Bankinter will discuss their involvement in Qivalis. The alliance comprises 37 financial institutions across 15 European countries and is working to develop a euro-denominated stablecoin.
Qivalis aims to provide faster, lower-cost payments and transfers available 24 hours a day, seven days a week, while streamlining digital-asset settlements within a regulated environment. Its commercial launch is planned for the second half of 2026, subject to regulatory authorization.
Santander will discuss an initiative it is exploring with Bank of America, Barclays, BNP Paribas, Citi, Deutsche Bank, Goldman Sachs, MUFG, TD Bank, and UBS. The project is examining the issuance of digital currency backed one-to-one by reserves and accessible on public blockchains. It is also considering currencies pegged to G7 fiat currencies and reflects efforts by international banks to establish common standards for operating digital money securely and in compliance with regulations.
Trade Republic will provide perspective from one of Europe’s investment and savings platforms on integrating digital assets into everyday financial services. Its participation will address retail investor demand, simple and regulated access to crypto assets, and the role of digital platforms in the adoption of next-generation financial infrastructure in Europe.
Western Union will present USDPT, its dollar-denominated stablecoin issued by Anchorage Digital Bank and built on Solana. The company is integrating USDPT into its Digital Asset Network to connect digital money with practical applications, including 24/7 transfers, payments, and local-currency conversions across its global network. The initiative shows how stablecoins can complement existing cash and remittance infrastructure rather than operate as an isolated system.
“For the first time, banks, fintechs, and major payment providers aren’t to debate whether stablecoins have a place in the financial system, but rather to explain how they are building and integrating them and which specific problems they intend to solve. MERGE Madrid will be the platform where we can compare these models and understand the shape digital money will take in Europe and Latin America,” said Paula Pascual, founder of MERGE.
Industry Push to Launch Stablecoins
The discussions come as MiCA — the European Union’s markets-in-crypto-assets regulation, whose stablecoin issuer provisions took effect in 2024 — has established a framework for issuing and offering crypto assets. At the same time, the rapid growth of US dollar-linked stablecoins has prompted debate over monetary sovereignty and Europe’s ability to develop its own payment infrastructure.
For financial institutions, stablecoins can support near-instant cross-border transfers, programmable payments, continuous operating hours, and tokenized-asset settlements without reliance on legacy market hours. For payment platforms and remittance providers, they can reduce the number of intermediaries and connect digital currency directly with merchants, bank accounts, and cash-pickup locations. That capability is particularly relevant to the corridors linking Europe and the United States with Latin America, where remittances are a major channel of cross-border money movement.
MERGE Madrid’s discussions will extend beyond technical specifications. Speakers will consider who should issue digital assets, how reserves should be protected, which consumer safeguards are necessary, how stablecoins could coexist with traditional bank deposits and the future digital euro — a central bank currency the European Central Bank has been preparing since 2023 — and which models could support broader adoption.
Three Days at Two Madrid Venues
The program will cover stablecoins, digital payments, tokenization, custody, regulation, capital markets, Bitcoin, artificial intelligence in finance, and next-generation blockchain infrastructure. Participants from Europe and Latin America will join keynotes and breakout sessions focused on the development of financial services.
MERGE describes itself as an institutional platform for digital assets, blockchain, and Web3 connecting Europe and Latin America. Through flagship events in Madrid, Buenos Aires, and São Paulo, it brings together banks, regulators, corporations, investors, fintech companies, startups, and Web3-native leaders to promote collaboration and develop new business models.
More information, agenda details, and tickets are available at:
